


Patches of Sky

by mxartbotboy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (LadyIrina AU), The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Classic Star Wars adventure, F/F, Liita deserves some love, No Beta, Sabine is off the string, Secondary romance B plot, Slow-ish burn, We Die Like Men, and so does Ahsoka, as they say, the Mandorin is secondary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23911909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mxartbotboy/pseuds/mxartbotboy
Summary: On the old mining planet of E'ti, Liita meets a stranger unlike any other."The name's Ahsoka.""Liita.""I know.""Of course you do."
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Liita (LadyIrina), Ahsoka Tano & Sabine Wren, Ahsoka Tano/Liita (LadyIrina), Corin the Stormtrooper (Rescue and Regret)/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)/Corin Valentis (LadyIrina)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 50





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Family and Home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21758992) by [LadyIrina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyIrina/pseuds/LadyIrina). 



The sky was grey and the wind was cold, but Corin somehow delighted in the chill that chased across his cheeks as they emerged into the afternoon light. In front of him, Din had climbed up onto an outcrop and was scanning the surrounding area, cape fluttering on the tail of a particularly strong gust.

"Din, get down here!" Corin called, approaching the base of the outcrop. The Child chirped in agreement, wiggling in Corin's hold, "You know no one else is here."

With a quiet swoosh, Din landed next to them, slipping away his scope, "It's better to be cautious."

Giving in to the Child's squirming wishes, Corin put him down. He immediately set to kicking at the dirt, watching the wind pick it up in cloudy swirls above his head. Chasing after them he squealed, tiny hands outstretched and grabbing at the air. The two men watched in comfortable silence.

Din slipped an arm around Corin's waist, "Remind me why we're out here again."

Corin tipped his head against Din's, "Fresh air. Wind on our faces. Let the kid run around and get a change of scenery."

"Not much scenery to look at."

Chuckling, Corin placed his hand over Din's, interlocking their fingers on his hip and looking out at the dull barren desert.

The wind that had been blasting around them suddenly fell short, dying down for a breath amidst the howling. The Child's hands dropped to his sides and he turned, looking up at an unknown point in the sky. His ears twitched and he tilted his head, so much like his _buir_.

Corin frowned at the Child's stillness, and a prickle ran up the back of his neck. He shook it off, not wanting to think about bad luck in a moment like this.

"Alright?" Din asked, squeezing his fingers.

"Yeah. Just wondering what he's looking at, I suppose."

What they didn't know was that the Child wasn't so much looking at a thing as he was the direction of a feeling. He didn't quite understand the feelings that he had, but he knew they were important and this was a particularly strong one. It called to him like a voice speaking a language he didn’t understand and he wished that he could fly like the winged lizards who lived on this planet. He stared up into the sky, blinking, and then reached a small hand out.

Something was coming.

* * *

Translations:

_buir_ \- father


	2. Chapter 2

"I've got your generators."

Liita kicked her feet up on the table, leaning back as she spoke to the comm in her hand, trying not to sound too pleased with herself, "I've got a confirmed transaction tomorrow night."

"Good." The voice on the comm crackled through the secure connection, "The one here is going to die any day now. What's the cost?"

"Don't worry, it's within the price we discussed," Running a hand through her hair, Liita grinned, "But I'm sure I could talk them down a couple hundred credits."

Din snorted, "You always do, somehow."

"Well what else am I good for, eh Djarin?"

It was a light tease, but they both knew that Liita was good for a lot for the Covert. Without her, they wouldn't have been able to source more than half of the parts and supplies that they had needed, from tools to engine replacements to complicated repairs. More than once, Din had asked her why she continued helping out the Covert, risking her ass and reputation for them.

Truth be told, Liita wasn't exactly sure why she did. Three standard years had passed since she made the decision to stay with the Covert, moving around with them from one secret hideout to another before they settled in their current underground complex. They were a strong force to be reckoned with and their survival was admirable. Sometimes, Liita even felt like she was a part of them, just another member living and breathing with the group and helping to keep the Mandalorian way. There was no sense in denying though that, at the end of the day, she was an outsider. She did not wear a helmet and did not follow the _Resol’nare_. Accepted and befriended? Sure. Truly a part of the Covert, though?

But the work with the Covert kept her on her toes and it gave her purpose. Liita thought back to the little homestead she had lived in for years, on that dusty red planet as aged as her memory of it. She’d spent so much of her life there that she never would have imagined she would be sitting here talking about buying power generators for a hidden group of Mandalorians. A part of her missed it occasionally, that quiet life of puttering and building, but Liita never once regretted leaving. Only once had she returned to gather some personal items before deciding it was time to move on for good to the next part of her life, whatever that turned out to be.

"We appreciate everything you do for us, Liita." The connection crackled again, cutting Din off briefly.

"What was that? You're breaking up." Liita tapped the comm; a force of habit. The connection originated from the complex and wouldn't be fixed by any tinkering she could do on her end.

Din's voice finally came through, garbled and mostly unintelligible, “-…pick up?"

"Pick up at the Gapolis Space Port, _lek_. I'm probably heading there to find some more work."

“Copy…-….can….-….there…-…two wee-“

“Two weeks? Djarin, you're cutting out. Two standard weeks today, copy?"

“Yes…-…then-“

"See you then."

Liita sighed, switching off the comm. The lack of power boosting the signal was the reason their connection had started to become frazzled, she was sure. She would take a look at the communication beacon the next time she was at the complex, but it was one of the pieces of machinery that was more difficult to source for a reasonable cost and they relied heavily on it for pretty much all their current operations.

Pushing that concerning thought out of her head, Liita checked her chrono. It was early enough that the inn's cantina would still be open and she had time and the extra credits for a drink. With a stretch, Liita pushed herself up, tying her long hair back and grabbing her jacket before heading downstairs.

The simple but tidy cantina was about half full, scattered with mostly inn patrons Liita recognized from the past few days, some from her many times through. She was pretty much a regular, running most of her business through Ojepso rather than the more expensive but larger port city of Gapolis. More travellers with better deals and better morals came through the small trading town, and Liita would almost be tempted to set up a shop here if she wasn’t with the Covert. As such, many of the locals recognized her and were relatively friendly, although there were a couple of low life vendors and mechanics who Liita had some bad run ins with and took every opportunity to be as frustrating as possible. Generally now they wisely kept out of her way, after some strong-arming tactics she had learned from her Mandalorian friends, and the little inn had become a nice refuge after her long days of travel and work.

She slid into an empty stool at the bar, waving casually at the barkeep, ”Evening Lei. Keeping busy?"

"Oh you know," the tall human shrugged, pulling down a glass with a smile, "The usual. Speaking of," he tipped the glass towards Liita, "Same as always?"

"Am I that obvious?" Liita watched as Lei filled the glass from a large tap at the back, tilting it as the liquid reached the top. A small part of her mind whispered that this was comfort, this was ease, this wasn’t how you were supposed to feel, but Liita pushed that part away. It whispered less than it used to, but she still didn’t like that it did.

Lei turned, placing the dark blue foamy drink on a coaster in front of her with a flourish, ”If you order Nalroni ale every time you come in, then yes." He winked before moving on to another patron who had sat down at the bar further down.

Shaking her head, Liita sipped at the ale, letting the dark, fruity flavour spread over her tongue. Nalroni ale was indeed a personal favourite of hers, and luxuries like a flavour other than a ration pack were something she had learned she deserved.

Liita was in an unusually good mood, sitting here, enjoying a drink, soaking in the atmosphere of a good natured crowd. Sourcing the generators had been easier than anticipated; she had been planning on scouting through half of Gapolis before finding any leads. Turned out a couple of merchants were passing through Ojepso only a day or so after she'd arrived, carting with them a couple of apparently broken but perfectly fixable generators. She'd checked their references and they seemed decent, and so felt confident that a quick examination the day after next would prove they were in fact an easy fix. It was a stroke of good luck that was not to be taken lightly.

"Pardon the interruption."

Liita nearly leapt out of her skin at the voice next to her, jerking around and sloshing her drink onto the counter.

" _Foito_." She grimaced at the spillage and snatched at the napkin dispenser, mopping at the puddle on the counter. When was the last time someone had snuck up on her like that? As a Zeltron, being a minor empath had its benefits, one of them being that Liita could always sense someone's approach, and to have a voice suddenly pipe up next to her? She’d already had to learn how to deal with unwanted people in her personal space when she knew they’d be there. The pounding of her heart in her ears drowned everything out for a moment and she had to take a breath to collect herself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Liita turned to glare at the apparently emotionless stranger. They were tall and wearing a grey cloak, hood pulled up, although Liita could see the points of something pressing through the fabric of the hood to suggest not-human. Lifting their head revealed piercing blue eyes framed by white markings across their orange-tinted face. A Togruta. Curious. Liita had never seen a Togruta before, but from what she knew, they generally didn’t travel too much around these parts.

Liita narrowed her eyes, "Could have fooled me." She turned back to her drink, trying to ignore the strange emptiness that was normally filled by the low level hum of a person’s emotions. This Togruta, however, buzzed with a different kind of energy, one that was nearly indistinguishable from the feeling of an empty room, unless Liita really reached out to feel. It was unsettling and an unfamiliar energy she wasn’t too keen on continuing to feel.

The Togruta stretched her hand out and touched the counter space next to Liita, "Is it alright if I sit?"

Liita shrugged, taking another deep sip of her ale, trying to recollect some of her cool. The stranger sat next to her, shaking her head at Lei when he approached, "Nothing for me, I won't be long." She pulled off her hood, revealing long montrals that draped elegantly over her shoulders and a soft jaw. She regarded Liita for a few moments before speaking, "I was told you were the one to speak to about repairs for my ship."

Staring ahead, Liita shrugged, "Who's asking?” She took another sip of her drink.

"A traveller.” The stranger leaned on the counter, “Was I told correctly?"

Liita glanced over and was surprised to find her smiling. She didn’t like not being able to sense the humour of the stranger’s words, but the expression seemed genuine.

"Sure," Liita grumbled, "But I'm busy, I don't have time for a job."

"You haven't even heard me out yet."

Sighing, Liita rested her elbow on the bar, facing the Togruta with a scowl, "If I let you tell me, will you leave me alone?"

The stranger shrugged, "If I get the answer I'm looking for." Her voice sounded far too casual and chatty for Liita's liking and the lack of emotional presence set her on edge. Whoever this Togruta was, she was determined. Liita recognized the quiet but stubborn look in her sharp eyes.

“Fine." Liita waved a hand vaguely, "What kind of repairs are you looking for?"

The smile on the Togruta's face faded and she folder her hands on the counter, "My ship crashed about fifteen klicks outside of town–“

Interrupting her, Liita snorted, "Yeah, I don't have time. I'm out of here in two days for Gapolis, you're probably looking at some major work. Pricey too."

Frowning, the strange straightened, "If it's a matter of cost then I can certainly pay. I can even cover the cost of whatever job you lose by staying."

Liita raised an eyebrow. She was willing to pay, huh? Deep pocket clients were always tempting and were it any other job she would have been more than happy to stay and fix the ship. But this job was about more than just credits. Liita shook her head, "I'm sorry, but I keep my commitments. You'll have to find someone else."

“As far as I’ve heard, there isn’t anyone else. How about," the Togruta said, leaning forward with a suddenly lit up expression, "How about you come to the ship and just tell me whether or not it's worth repairing? I’d say it is, but my mechanic skills are a bit rusty and I’d like a second opinion. Hmm?”

Negotiating. Liita was liking this Togruta less and less by the second, although she could appreciate the respectful persistence she kept about herself, ”I don't have time."

"It's only a few hours out, faster by speeder."

"I have better things to do."

"I'll pay your regular rate."

"I don't come cheap."

"Not a problem."

Liita glared at the Togruta, "You're pretty annoying, you know that?"

The Togruta grinned and held out her hand, "The name's Ahsoka."

Begrudgingly, Liita took it, already feeling like this was a bad idea, ”Liita.”

"I know."

"Of course you do." With a gulp, Liita downed the rest of her ale, "Payment starts with my drink."

Ahsoka merely pulled out a pouch and placed a few credits on the table, more than covering the cost. Liita eyed them warily. Who the hell was this Ahsoka? No emotional presence, bursting at the seams with credits, and pushy in a part of space where keeping to yourself was the recommended course of action. This whole thing still seemed like a bad idea, but somehow Liita knew that the Togruta wouldn’t leave her alone until she satisfied at least some of what she was asking for. As long as she wasn’t put behind schedule, Liita could humour her for some extra pay. And Liita had learned how to read people, empath or not, and Ahsoka read as trustworthy, if a bit overly confident.

Liita couldn't tell if she was going to kill her or she was beginning to like her.

* * *

Translations and Pronunciations:

Mando’a:

Resol’nare - the 6 tenets of Mando life

lek - yeah

Zeltron:

foito - fuck

Gapolis - GAH-poh-liss

Ojepso - oh-JEHP-soh


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, here we goooo. Had a bad writing week, but some last minute inspiration and revisions last night had me feeling a bit better about posting this, especially now that the story is moving into the beginning stages. Enjoy!

Annoyingly, Ahsoka already had a speeder rented and waiting outside of the inn. It was an older model, chunky, with half of the paint job stripped or sanded down into a patchwork of grey and brown. Liita nearly rolled her eyes out of her head at the sight of it, realizing that the Togruta had intended, one way or another, to leave with someone to look at her ship.

After taking a quick glance at her chrono, Liita buttoned up her jacket. It cooled off substantially at night on E’ti, dipping below freezing out in the Flats, and there was no way Liita was risking getting trapped out there. She hated the cold, and it was one of the few terrifying parts of the planet that still managed to make her skin crawl.

“This had better not take long.”

Holding up her hands in mock defence, Ahsoka shook her head, “Just a quick hop over, nothing more.” She moved to mount the driver’s spot on the speeder, fingers already hovering over the navigation pad, “I’ve programmed the coord-”

Liita’s hand shot out, grasping onto one of the speeder grips, ”No way. I'm driving."

A single eyebrow raise was all she got in response, but Ahsoka stepped back, cloak fluttering as she waved an arm towards the seat.

Liita could feel Ahsoka’s gaze lingering on her as she mounted the speeder. It was like something was latched onto the back of her head, prodding to find a way in and answer every burning question she was sure the Togruta had. Ahsoka seemed like that kind of person, which irritated Liita to no end.

The make of the speeder was familiar and she had it started up in no time, pulling up the coordinates of the crashed ship that Ahsoka had mentioned and plotting a path around the edge of the moss jungle that surrounded almost half of Ojepso. It would be faster to cut through but it was an easier ride across the rock plateaus that made up the Flats.

"Thank goodness we don't have to walk," Ahsoka said, swinging on behind Liita, "It took me nearly two hours to get here."

Liita froze at the warm body pressing in. Logically, she should have reasoned that Ahsoka would have to ride like this, but in the moment hadn't actually considered it. She tried to control the shiver that ran up her spine at the contact, tingling even through her clothes. For a panicked moment, Liita thought that Ahsoka would grip at her waist as most were wont to do in these situations, but thankfully, she settled back, legs pressing into the sides of the speeder to support herself instead. If it was because she could sense Liita’s discomfort at the close proximity, she didn’t let on.

"Let's just go," Liita cleared her throat and kicked the speeder into gear.

Ahsoka was right in that it didn't take very long to get to the site, maybe only around thirty minutes of uninterrupted riding. Even though they avoided going directly into the jungle, they still had to swerve through and around the gargantuan roots of the Aesho trees that grew all over the planet, weaving through solid rock like thread. Roots that towered over their heads cast long shadows in the fading light and the slightest twinkle of the bioluminescence of the jungle’s namesake flickered between the thick trunks. They came to the end of the jungle patch, though, the coordinates taking them straight out into the Flats towards the location of the crashed ship. Behind her, Ahsoka’s body turned, as if she were looking out to the line of Aesho trees that stretched out towards the horizon. Liita wondered if she had ever seen something like it before; not many people had.

The chill of the evening was starting to set in and as they approached the site and Liita's cheeks stung with the rush of cool air. Still smoking slightly, the wreckage was a sight to behold. The ship had landed on its side, skidding along a rock plateau, with one wing jutting up at an odd angle and the side split open and engine parts spewing out like entrails. What was most noticeable was the carbon scoring criss crossing the surface of the durasteel, unlikely to be gained from a simple crash landing. Liita’s suspicions about the nature of Ahsoka’s travels only grew, but she had learned in this business not to ask questions unless they were about parts a client needed. Whether or not they had been shot at on the way down was none of Liita’s concern.

Pulling up at a safe distance, Liita tried not to make it seem like she was leaping off the speeder. The loss of warmth from Ahsoka behind her was like a splash of cold water across her back but it was also a relief to feel the space around her again, like she could fully breath for the first time. _Get a grip_ , she chided herself, trying to focus on the crashed ship. It had been over a year since the touch of another person had caused overstimulation like that and Liita would eat her boots before she let some stranger she barely knew get to her like this.

"I know it looks bad," Ahsoka said, walking up beside Liita, "But most of the systems are still operational. I think it just needs reassembly."

"Just reassembly," Liita muttered, kicking at some debris that lay scattered a few metres from the ship, "Have you ever fixed a ship before?"

Ahsoka didn't answer. Liita crouched down next to the largest pile of strewn ship parts, poking at the tubes and wires to determine the what the sorry state of the engine was. It was a right mess, the engine component barely recognizable amongst the other pieces of wreckage. As she examined, Liita furrowed her brows and then looked over her shoulder, "A Mandalorian ship?"

"Yes," Ahsoka sounded surprised, crossing her arms, "You really do know your stuff, huh?"

Liita brushed off her hands and stood, trying not to linger on why Ahsoka was flying something of Mandalorian make. ”Yeah, your engine is totally busted. A new one is going to cost nearly as much as a new ship.”

With a sound of annoyance, Ahsoka pinched the bridge of her nose, "Well that's just great.”

“Sorry.” Liita shrugged, “And don’t bother looking around here. Ojepso’s shipyard closed down last standard. You’ll have to go to Gapolis if you want a new ship.”

This looked like the last thing that Ahsoka wanted to hear, the stress bundling up around her shoulders and crossing her face in a frown. There was a thought lingering in her eyes as she stared ahead blankly and Liita wished again she could sense what Ahsoka was feeling. It was unnerving to see such a troubled expression with no sensation behind it.

Shoulders sagging, Ahsoka, finally having come to some sort of decision, sighed, “Is there somewhere in town I could-"

Her words faltered as Liita’s senses were immediately triggered, and both of their heads turned in the same direction. Three people approaching the site.

"Probably scavengers," Liita said, wondering how Ahsoka seemed to know, even before her, of the malignant energy suddenly encroaching upon the crash. Things were getting stranger and stranger by the minute and she didn’t like it one bit. Liita backed up, reaching for the blaster at her thigh, "Unless there's anything of value to you on the ship, we should probably-"

A dark shaped darted in the corner of Liita's eye and she swung around, attempting to aim. But the shape moved quicker, almost impossibly quick, and was on top of Liita before she could get her finger on the trigger. She instead dodged to the side, feeling the brush of a cloak as she narrowly avoided the attack. Whirling around, Liita's vision was filled with black as the attacker lunged, tackling her and knocking them both to the ground.

Liita gasped, a sharp pain ringing through her ribs at the impact. She could feel fingers scrabbling at her wrists and she twisted, trying to throw the attacker off while keeping a grip on her blaster. Managing to get a leg underneath, Liita shoved, connecting directly with soft tissue and the attacker grunted, falling to the side as Liita rolled away.

"Ahsoka!" Liita called out, looking around desperately for the Togruta. Movement caught her gaze and she looked up in shock to see Ahsoka balanced on the top of the body of the wreckage, two more cloaked figures advancing along the the shaky durasteel towards her. With a yell, Liita fired off two blasts, causing the ship to rattle and pieces to go scattering to the ground. One figure wavered while the other leapt forward towards Ahsoka. In a wide, and dramatic in Liita’s opinion, movement, she had her cloak thrown off to engage in hand-to-hand with the figure.

Her attacks were like water, fluid and ever-moving. She seemingly dodged and parried with ease, setting her opponent off balance at one point and nearly toppling him there. With an equally adept recovery, though, the figure pushed forward, trying himself to knock Ahsoka to the ground.

Liita was so engrossed watching the Togruta's shocking display of athleticism that she nearly forgot about her own attacker, who had recovered and launched himself at her legs. She yelped, managing to keep herself from falling over and tried to kick at him, but he grabbed at her ankles and held.

"You're not getting away from us," the figure hissed, a knife appearing in a biting glint. In a panic, Liita tossed herself to the ground, catching her toe on the attacker's chin and scrambling away across the rock. Already pushing himself to his feet, the figure stumbled towards her. The hood of his cloak had fallen, revealing a sunken face and wide crazed eyes, blooding trickling from his mouth. They both froze though, as a sound cut through the air and Liita couldn't help but look up at the wreckage again.

Ahsoka's face glowed, illuminated by the white blades she held in a reverse grip, a terrifying glare painting her face as she stared down the figure, who had produced a long electrostaff. He thrust towards her, and Ahsoka brought the blades forward to clash with the staff, a loud hissing zap ringing out.

Realizing that her attacker was distracted by the display, Liita rolled to her feet and charged. He only just managed to look around in surprise before Liita was smacking the side of his head with the butt of her blaster with as much strength as she could muster. He fell like a sack of sand, out cold.

"Get to the speeder!" Ahsoka yelled from above, sparring fiercely with the figure, "Quickly!"

Making a break for it, Liita raised her blaster again as the second figure came dashing around the wreckage, firing off shots to keep him at bay from the speeder. He swerved, also pulling out an electrostaff from the depths of his cloak, extending it with a crackle. She reached the speeder first though, grabbing a hold, kicking it into gear, and swinging on as it shot out, nearly running into the wrecked ship. Liita had to jerk the grips, almost tossing herself from the speeder, to avoid collision. What she couldn’t avoid, though, was the the figure whipping the staff out, catching the back of the speeder with the tip and sending a wave of electricity reverberating across the surface. Something in the machinery popped and Liita cursed.

“Ahsoka, we have to go!” Looking around, Liita managed to catch Ahsoka flinging the attacker back before leaping up in a dazzling arc, back flipping once in the air before landing perfectly on the back of the moving speeder. It jostled with the landing and Liita wavered the grip back and forth to steady it. She heard the hum of the laser blades schlick out and Ahsoka settled in behind her.

They were both silent for the few minutes that they rode, wind whipping in Liita’s ears and tugging at the strands of hair that had pulled loose around her face. The image of the figure’s horrible face was burned in her mind, accompanied by his feelings of desperation and rage. Where had those three come from and what had prompted such an attack?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low whine coming from the speeder’s accelerator and a rattle that could be felt beneath the seat.

“Damn,” Liita hissed, revving the engine. The whine grew louder and the speeder jolted, slowly down significantly.

She felt Ahsoka twist around to try and get a look, “What’s going on?”

“One of those assholes shocked the bike. Probably fried the accelerator.” As if on cue, as they approached the edge of the jungle, the speeder spat out a horrible mechanical grind, and then sputtered to a stop. Liita swore again, pushing herself violently off the bike. Mind racing and heart still thumping hard from the altercation, she stormed over to a root that curved over them, nearly the size of a tree itself.

She leaned against it, adrenaline still racing through her as she panted. With a start, she realized she still had a durasteel-grip on the blaster and wincing, she unfolded her fingers, shakily holstering it. The bark of the root was rough beneath her glove, tugging on the loose fibres as her hand slid down to hang by her side.

“We should try to keep moving.” Ahsoka’s voice sounded eerily calm in the wake of what had just happened, “Before they catch up.”

"And who," Liita asked, turning to press her back into the root, "were _they_?"

Ahsoka sat still on the speeder, hands resting on her thighs, a crinkle in her brow. Were it not for the display that Liita had witnessed earlier, she would never have guessed that the Togruta had been fighting only a few minutes prior. Now that her cloak was gone, though, Liita could easily see that Ahsoka dressed like a warrior, with painted gauntlets and a protective chest plate. It almost reminded Liita of Mandalorian armour, although what Ahsoka wore was much more minimal than the beskar-clad fighters she was familiar with.

"I'm sorry," Ahsoka said finally, "I didn't mean for you to get involved in this."

"Well you should have thought about that before bringing me to your ship," Liita growled angrily, clenching her hands into fists, " _Jetii_."

A look akin to a mix of annoyance and confusion crossed Ahsoka’s face and she opened her mouth to retort. Instead, her attention was suddenly drawn downward, “You’re injured.”

“What?” Liita followed her gaze down to her right calf, where she noticed for the first time the tear in her pants and the black blood seeping out from a cut. The figure with the knife must have gotten her some time in their scuffle, but only now looking at it did Liita feel the sting of the wound.

“Here, let me.” Ahsoka had slipped off the speeder and was reaching into a pack on her waist as she approached, “Sit down.”

Liita slid down the root, wincing at the strain on her leg. “I’m fine. Really,” she said, watching Ahsoka crouch down with a couple strips of fabric in hand. Ahsoka didn’t answer, instead busying herself with wrapping the fabric tightly around the cut to stop the blood flow. Her hands were firm and steady, eyes focussed, and up close, Liita could see how the white markings across her face branched out into smaller and smaller tendrils into skin so similarly shaded to her own. They were strange and beautiful and Liita had a sudden urge to run her fingers along them. Instead she pressed her palms into the ground, tearing her gaze away. What a terrible and intrusive thought to have. It was the closeness, Liita reasoned. She hadn’t had someone truly in her personal space like this in a while. That had to be it.

“There,” Ahsoka sat back on her heels, tucking away an extra piece of unused fabric, “That should do until we get back to the inn.” Blue eyes met with black and the Togruta sighed, “And I suppose I owe you an explanation.”

* * *

Translations and Pronunciations:

Jetii - Jedi

E’ti - eh-TIE

Aesho - EYE-sho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on Tumblr for random nonsense hours: https://mxartbotboy.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

“I can walk,” Liita complained as she begrudgingly took a seat on the speeder.

“I’m sure you can,” Ahsoka said, “But we shouldn’t take any chances until we can get you a dermal regenerator.”

Liita huffed as Ahsoka took one of the handles and gently began to pull the speeder along as she walked; thankfully the anti-grav generator had survived the shock from the electrostaff and it bobbed gently with Ahsoka’s pace. The injury really wasn’t serious enough to warrant her concern, but it wasn’t like they would be faster if Liita was walking, so she allowed it, only if to stop the nagging. Liita had also agreed to be ferried along on the speeder on the promise of a reason why they were in this predicament in the first place.

“So,” Liita started, glancing over at the Togruta after a few minutes of silence, “I believe an explanation is in order.”

A small smile tugged at Ahsoka’s lips, “Yes, indeed.” Her gaze fell forward, growing distant, “My friend and I were flying through this sector when we were attacked out of nowhere and shot down. My friend managed to get into the escape pod and I launched it before we crashed, but I’m not sure where she would have landed. We were flying over a large city at the time, so I’m assuming somewhere around there but…” she paused, and then sighed, “I had to know if abandoning the ship was necessary or not before going to look for her. I didn’t realize our attackers would follow us down to the planet, I assumed they might have been some sort of planetary defence.” She looked over ruefully at Liita, “Clearly, I was mistaken.”

“Clearly,” Liita leaned forward on the handles, resting her chin in her hand, “What do those guys want with you?”

The hesitation was brief but noticeable, at least to Liita, “I don’t know. But I do know that they’re dangerous.”

Liita couldn’t be sure, but that sounded like a lie to her, at least the part about Ahsoka not knowing why they were attacked. Those three _had_ been dangerous; Liita had felt their chaotic energy swirling around them in a mix of hatred, rage, and singular focus on their goal, whatever it could be. She also hadn’t realized how dependant on sensing emotions she was until she had met Ahsoka. It was like talking to a hologram sometimes. Liita could see the body language and facial expressions but there was no confirmation of what was bubbling beneath the surface. And Ahsoka seemed to be the kind of person who bubbled.

“Why did you use the Mandalorian word for Jedi?”

Ahsoka’s question interrupted Liita’s thoughts and she blinked. _Kriff_. Had she really? She tried to keep her Mando’a at bay when she was away from the Covert as, like in this moment, it always brought up questions that Liita didn’t want to answer. She wondered how Ahsoka had recognized the word at all, but with the Mandalorian ship laying in the Flats behind them, it seemed likely that Ahsoka was no stranger to Mandalorian culture.

“I just,” Liita blinked, sitting up, “That’s the only word I ever heard used.” A lie of her own then. And a shaky one at best.

Ahsoka seemed to accept it, gaze hardening, “Well, I’m not a Jedi.”

Liita frowned, “But your blades. And the way you did that flip-”

“They’re called lightsabers. And yes, it’s true that I’m a Force wielder.” Ahsoka’s grip tightened on the speeder, “But I’m a traveller, nothing more. And certainly not a Jedi.”

There was something beneath those words and Liita once again felt the loss of her empathy, her curiousity desperately wanting to prod and see the feeling below the word ‘Jedi’. As far as she had known, Jedi were the only users of the mysterious entity that was the Force. To see someone like Ahsoka, who not only used the Force with refined skill but spoke warily of the Jedi, piqued Liita’s interest more than she knew it should.

Instead of pushing, though, Liita turned her attention away. Night was falling quickly, dim enough that the faint glow of the moss that grew on the Aesho trees in the jungle was starting to become more visible. The leaves rustled as a gust of warm air came rushing out, playing with the strands of hair that had come loose around Liita’s face. She closed her eyes as her chill was briefly chased away. Even still, the microclimates of the moss jungles continued to amaze her, little hubs of life that rooted themselves into the degrading rock of the planet and refused to die.

She could feel Ahsoka’s gaze on her and she opened her eyes, clearing her throat and brushing the hair from her face. She pulled up the route on the navigation pad, “We probably have another forty-five minutes or so.”

It was mostly quiet from then on. Tension still filled Ahsoka’s stride, and she would glance over her shoulder occasionally, even though Liita had the sense that she would know if the attackers were approaching without having to see them. It was just as well, because it quickly grew much darker and by the time they reached the edge of town, the only illumination was from the windows of the buildings and the moss jungle.

Liita waved away Ahsoka’s attempts to help her off the speeder when they reached the inn, “I’m not incapacitated by a little cut, you know.” It still stung, true, but some dermal regeneration and a night’s rest would take care of that.

Relief spread across Liita’s shoulders when she pushed open the door to the inn, coupled with the onset of exhaustion. Lei looked up from the dishes he was doing as she passed the bar, “Liita, you alright?”

“Fine Lei. Just dealing with a tiresome job from this…” Liita trailed off as she looked behind her, seeing no one. She wasn’t sure why she was expecting the Togruta to have followed her in, but her absence still came as a bit of a surprise. Even when she wasn’t here, Ahsoka had found a way of continuing to be annoying. “Right. Well. I’m turning in.”

Lei waved a good night and Liita dragged herself up to her room. Collapsing on the bed, she reached under it to pull out her pack. At some point, it had been organized, but it had now been almost a month away from the Covert and it had become more of a dumping ground of supplies and tools. She dug until she found the dermal regenerator and began removing the bandages, wincing as they tugged at the edges of the cut. It wasn’t nearly bad enough to warrant concern, but Liita was thankful that Ahsoka had insisted on wrapping it. She had heard stories from some of the traders about how moss spores from the jungle would find their way into open wounds and begin to grow. Stories from the traders were wild and abundant, though, and Liita wasn’t wont to believe most of them. However, months spent on and off E’ti had led her to see some strange things and she wondered if more of the stories were true than she’d first believed.

Regardless, the cut seemed spore-free and she set to work sealing the skin. She thought back to her attacker at the ship, face pale, drawn, and manic. Their fighting had been meticulous and they were clearly confident enough to take on a formidable opponent like Ahsoka. No doubt they were the ones who had shot down the ship. But what did they want? Did they think Ahsoka was a Jedi? Or was it her mysterious friend they were after? Something low twisted in Liita’s gut when she realized that they might have assumed that _she_ was Ahsoka’s travelling companion.

With that unsettling thought in mind, Liita finished closing up the cut and toed off her boots. Normally, she would have hung up her blaster as well, but after a moment’s thought, she unholstered it and laid it on the bedside table. Just being cautious, Liita tried to tell herself as she laid back. No harm in being cautious.

Sleep pulled at her eyelids, but her mind wandered back again to the empty cantina behind her and the jolt of realizing that Ahsoka had not followed her in. Liita rolled onto her side. She couldn't be gone for good; she hadn't paid yet. Perhaps that’s what the feeling of disappointment at the Togruta’s disappearance was.

That night she dreamt of glinting knives and white tendrils.

* * *

Liita was awoken abruptly by a loud rap on her door. Eyes drifting open, she groaned, rolling out of bed blearily and tugging her hair loose so it spilled over her shoulders. As her room came into focus, there was another knock, just as loud and urgent as the first. She shot a glare at the door, as if the early morning visitor could see, and pulled on her boots. As she stood, she paused, and then grabbed her blaster from the bed side table.

“Who-” she cleared her throat, “Who is it?”

“It’s me.” The voice was familiar and Liita realized that she couldn’t feel a presence on the other side of the door. Sighing, she holstered her blaster and opened it.

“Early enough?” Liita grumbled, letting Ahsoka close the door behind her as she turned to sit at the table. Despite the hour, Liita couldn’t help but feel a little pleased that Ahsoka was back. She kept it out of her voice though, low and grumpy as the chair squeaked beneath her.

The Togruta raised an eyebrow, joining her across the table, “Not a morning person, I see.”

Liita didn’t grace that with a response, instead raking her fingers through her hair. It had been tied back, but a couple of small knots had formed near the tips and she pulled them forward to work them out, as she usually did every morning, “I thought you had left.” She methodically detangled a knot, watching Ahsoka’s eyes dart down and then up again.

“I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“You know it was really just a cut, right?” The knot pulled loose and she ran her fingers through one final time before moving to the other one she had found, “It’s not like my leg was going to fall off.”

  
  
“Well obviously,” Ahsoka said drily, “I just wanted to make sure that you hadn’t had any unwelcome visitors in the night.”

“I have, in fact, looked after myself for quite a while now,” Liita said, brushing her hair off her shoulders to tie it back again. The knot that had formed in her stomach, though, only twisted tighter, “Although your concern is noted.”

It was then that Liita noticed that Ahsoka was wearing her grey cloak again. Had she gone back to the crash during the night? That seemed like a very dangerous and stupid thing to do, also begging the question of when Ahsoka had slept. None of my business, Liita reminded herself, as she had done what Ahsoka had asked. Speaking of….

“Anyways, payment’s due. One hundred credits, plus fifty for getting jumped by your friends.”

Ahsoka sighed, “They’re not my friends.”

“Whatever.”

Crossing her arms, the Togruta’s finger tapped her elbow thoughtfully. Liita narrowed her eyes, “I’d better not find out you left your wallet at home.”

“You said you were going to Gapolis, right?”

Liita leaned back in her chair, rubbing at her face. She didn’t like where this was going. With a huff, her hand dropped onto her thighs and she fixed Ahsoka with a hard stare, “Yes.”

“Well,” Ahsoka smiled pleasantly, “Suppose I ask to come along with you?”

“Suppose I said no.”

“Suppose you were going anyways and had space on your transport?” Standing, Liita’s path was blocked by Ahsoka jumping to her feet, holding out an arm.

With a snort, Liita brushed Ahsoka’s arm out of the way, “Listen, Jedi or not, I know trouble when I see it, and you are trouble with a capital T.”

As the words left Liita’s lips, though, she paused. She thought about Din, half dead back on that red planet. She thought about Corin, blue eyes shining as he laughed over a drink. And she thought about a little green Foundling with big floppy ears.

Her shoulders sagged and there were a million different parts of her brain screaming at her to show Ahsoka out before she dug herself in any deeper. Parts of her brain that she was now actively ignoring. Turning, Liita frowned at the already bright expression on Ahsoka’s face. No one should be allowed to look that pleased with themselves when they hadn’t even heard what they wanted to hear yet. She at least had the hubris to look a little more curious when Liita put one hand on her hip and waited.

“Alright. I’ll take you with me to Gapolis, get you there in one piece, and put up with your capital T. But,” she held up a finger when Ahsoka opened her mouth, “On one condition. I have a… friend who I think could benefit from your brand of expertise.”

Ahsoka tilted her head, not understanding. Liita waved her hands around, “You know, Force-y expertise.”

It was amazing how quickly Ahsoka’s expression went from confused to dark, “I don’t have a brand of expertise.”

“Well,” Liita shrugged, “Then find your own way to Gapolis.” Turning on her heel, Liita walked right out the door, chest thumping. “Make sure it’s closed on your way out,” she called over her shoulder. She wasn’t sure this would work; Ahsoka seemed to match her in stubbornness, which was saying something. But if it did, then she could potentially get Din and Corin in contact with a Force user, something they had wanted for months now. If it didn’t, then that was just one less thing on Liita’s plate.

The cantina was considerably more empty than the previous night, although considering how early it was, not surprising. Lei peered over from the industrial caf brewer he was currently filling a carafe from, “Liita. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you up this early an hour.”

“Neither have I. Biggest cup of caf you got and whatever the breakfast special is.” Liita jerked her thumb to the table in the corner where she usually sat, “Two specials if someone joins me.”

Lei merely shook his head, thankfully long-since used to Liita’s many different bad moods. Collapsing at the table, Liita crossed an ankle over her leg, leaned back, and waited. A couple more patrons came down, signalling the start of the morning crowd, as Lei brought over a steaming mug. She took it gratefully, taking as big a sip as the hot liquid would allow. Hopefully it would stave off the headache that was starting to creep up the back of her neck.

She sighed. Either Ahsoka was planning on waiting in the room until she had to go up again, or she had already left through the back. A small tinge of regret coloured her next sip of caf. The number of times Din and Corin had gone out on some fool-hardy mission with scraps of second hand information, only to return empty handed and worse for wear was starting to get into double digits. She and Din had become somewhat friends, and would usually chat over repairs in the complex. They had talked about the kid’s powers becoming more problematic over the years, to the point where he now slept in his own room and usually didn’t play with the other Foundlings unless Din or Corin were there to supervise. They were at the end of their string, and Liita knew they had discussed more than once about travelling again while they tried to find someone who could help the poor kid. And Ahsoka just might have been the answer they were looking for.

Liita was halfway through her cup when she saw the flutter of a grey cloak come down the stairs and she couldn’t help the smug smile that crossed her face. Ahsoka didn’t say anything when she sat down. Through the steaming rising up from her caf, Liita watched as she took another sip. The Togruta’s brow was furrowed in thought, crinkling the edges of the markings across her forehead. Resting an elbow on the back of the chair, Liita waited, nearly finishing her caf before Ahsoka leaned back, crossing her arms.

“Why does your friend need someone with my brand of expertise, as you put it?”

Liita place her cup on the table, “Can’t say. But I know they do.”

“Who are they?”

“Someone who will remain anonymous until you meet them.”

She couldn’t help but enjoy the frustrated look on Ahsoka’s face. Serves her right for nearly getting me killed, Liita thought. She wouldn’t have told Ahsoka regardless; the identity of the kid was much too dangerous to be floating about in cantinas, especially to people Liita had only just met. And without Din or Corin’s approval, she would never risk the kid’s safety. She hoped it would be enough to convince the Togruta, who was currently rivalling her level of stubbornness.

They were interrupted by Lei placing two hot plates of food in front of them, eyeing Ahsoka and then raising an eyebrow at Liita. Suspicion and humour. Liita narrowed her eyes, cheeks warming at the silent implication and he held back a smile, leaving them to their food.

“I guess you don’t bring many guests here, huh?”

Liita sighed, ignoring Ahsoka’s smirk, “Not ones as irritating as you.”

Her smirk only grew and Liita narrowed her eyes before starting on her breakfast. Ahsoka did as well, her face softening into a thoughtful look as she ate. Thoughtful because she was wondering how to turn Liita down? Or thoughtful because she was actually considering the offer? Liita stabbed a forkful and stuffed it in her mouth. Reading Ahsoka by body language alone was tiresome. She finished eating before Ahsoka, trying not to act impatient as she waited for the Togruta.

Finally, Ahsoka laid down her fork and looked over at Liita, “Irritating, huh?” Her eyes sparkled and Liita rolled her eyes.

“Look, do we have an agreement or not?”

Ahsoka nodded, “I’ll come meet your friend if you take me to Gapolis. But,” she added, “We have to find _my_ friend first.”

Of course they would.

“That’s going to cost you then,” Liita replied, pushing her plate back.

Ahsoka blinked and shook her head amusedly, “Fine.”

Liita just hoped that this would, in fact, turn out fine. She stood, “And yes, _irritating_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another chapter... I'm starting to catch up on my pre-written chapters though, so hopefully I can still keep up with my weekly commitment T.T I do my best in these strange times.
> 
> Come find me on Tumblr: mxartbotboy.tumblr.com


	5. Chapter 5

Ahsoka declined Liita's offer to come with her to the market.

"I unfortunately draw a bit too much attention to myself," she explained, "And I'm concerned about the re-appearance of our new friends."

Liita held back on pointing out that whatever objective the cloaked attackers had, it most certainly had nothing to do with Liita and she objected to the use of the word 'our'. However, they _had_ seen her with Ahsoka and the likelihood that a target had been painted on her back because of it was becoming more obvious the longer Liita mulled it over. She didn't like it one bit.

But it didn't change the fact that they needed to stock up on supplies before the journey to Gapolis. Rations, water, some replacements for Liita's spare parts. And she needed a sewing kit to fix the tear in her pants.

Agreeing to stay in Liita's room in the meanwhile, Ahsoka paid what she owed, plus a little extra to contribute to the shopping trip. Or, what Liita supposed Ahsoka thought was a little extra. At the moment, she wasn't going to complain about the extra credits, but she wondered if it wouldn't be a good time soon to explain to the Togruta the real value of a credit. Either that, or it was an act to have people underestimate her. That seemed equally as likely and Liita once again cursed Ahsoka masking herself in the Force, as surely that was the reason she couldn't be sensed by Liita's empathic abilities. Reading her was like trying to read a book in another language, and there was always a glint in her eye that suggested she knew more than she was saying.

The cloaked attackers, for instance. Over breakfast, Liita had point blank asked what they wanted with Ahsoka. She merely shrugged and deflected the question, something Liita was realizing she was frustratingly good at. It at least confirmed that there was probably a reason why Ahsoka was being pursued- she had been shot down after all- but was just unwilling to share it with Liita.

She just hoped she would find out the reason before she got killed for it, she thought to herself as she paid the Bimm vendor for the used conduit tubes. It was relatively busy in the market, the cascade of chattering alien languages and sizzling food a constant backdrop to Liita's bargaining.

As she weaved her way through the market-goers, Liita felt a prickle of unease crawl up the back of her neck. She tried to ignore it, attributing it to the bottleneck of people shehad to push her way through. It had taken her years to accustom herself to large groups and even still, she would have to fight the panic that came up when she was shoulder to shoulder with others. It used to be blinding and all-consuming, the kind of fear that gripped your limbs and dried out your tongue and wiped your mind of any thought except to run.

Liita remembered the first time she had gone to a street market on a sunny afternoon. It was a few Covert locations ago, when she first started venturing out as she did now for the Mandalorians. Standing at the edge of the throngs of people, the grip on her bag had been so tight the leather cut into her palm through her glove and there was a buzzing in her ear. The ebb and flow of emotion was like tidal waves around her; she had long since built walls to keep unwelcome emotions out, but it was like a tiny ship rocking in the ocean that could be crested at any moment. She had turned around and gone back to the inn instead. Now, Liita could move through most crowds with relative ease. Didn't mean she had to like it, though.

"Liita!" An opening had cleared in the crowd and she looked up at the call of her name. There were too many people around to identify who might have been the one who said it at first, but a quick glance around found the source.

"Didn't know you were back in town." The Arcona grinned a set of brown, flat teeth, leaning over the counter of her stall.

"Nice to see you too, Kaz." Liita stepped up, eyeing the string of jerkied rock lizards hanging in rows above her head, "Busy as ever?"

"You know it!" Kaz rapped the counter with her knobbly knuckles, "I'm only here once a week to see the local sad sacks. I'm shipping out now."

"Oh?"

Kaz had been a vendor in the Ojepso Market for years and knew almost everyone up and down the strip. Liita had liked her the moment they met; quick, honest, and maker of the tastiest jerky this side of the sector. Liita grinned, nodding up, "Someone actually wants to buy this stuff?"

"Not just that, although let me tell you dried poodoo really sells for space travellers." Kaz picked up a small jar from a display, “No, I’m selling my secret salt blend now. Eh?” She waggled the jar, “How about it? I got a discount with your name on it.”

Liita raised an eyebrow and shook her head. Typical Kaz. “I’m not much of a cook.” They both knew that the real market for the salt blend wasn’t in the galaxy’s chefs, but that was an unspoken side of Kaz’s business. Salt wasn’t an illegal substance anywhere but on Cona and there was plenty of business in the Outer Rim for Kaz to take advantage of.

“Ah well,” Kaz leaned forward on the counter, “I can see you’re not much in a buying mood anyways. At least for seasoning.” She eyed the large package tucked beneath Liita’s arm, “Got a job?”

“Heading to Gapolis. Just had to restock some parts.” Liita pointed at one of the lizards, “But I will take one of those for the road if you don’t mind.”

Kaz gladly pulled one down and began to wrap it up. Placing the package on the ground, Liita pulled out her payment chip. When she straightened, though, she frowned at the suddenly tense energy emanating from the Arcona.

Without missing a beat in her packaging, Kaz spoke, “Someone’s watching you.” Her face was carefully calm, and from a distance would still appear to be giving idle chit chat, “Across the way.”

That prickle was back and Liita realized that it had probably not been from the discomfort of the crowd. She didn’t have to look to guess who might have been lingering across the road, mostly unseen except by Kaz’s sharp eye. This was going to be a problem.

“Bit of bad business?” Kaz asked, handing over the package. Liita had tried not to make a name for herself as someone who worked with shady folks, but nothing got by Kaz, and she certainly knew that Liita wasn’t above taking a job now and then from the unsavoury type, if they paid well.

Liita handed over her payment chip, “You could say that.”

Humming thoughtfully, Kaz suddenly leaned out of the her stall, cupping one large hand around her mouth. “FIFTY PERCENT OFF!” she bellowed, “FIFTY PERCENT OFF ALL STOCK! AND A FREE DRIED GOOD FOR EVERY TRADER HEADING OUT OF TOWN TODAY!”

Heads swivelled in their direction and Liita could feel a surge of excitement ripple through the crowd. Kaz was a popular vendor and hardly ever did sales of any kind. People began to move in behind Liita as Kaz returned the her payment chip, creating a thick wall of bodies between them and the other side of the street. She was able to look over her shoulder, and through the waves of heads spot a cloaked figure lingering at the edge of the crowd. He was wavering, clearly having lost sight of Liita in the mingle surrounding Kaz’s stall.

She turned back to Kaz and gave a grateful nod. Kaz winked, “You owe me one. Now get out of here.” She jerked a thumb, “Around the back. I’ve got customers.”

Tucking away the payment chip and picking up her package, Liita slipped around the stall into one of the alleys connected to the main road. She walked quickly, the din of the market growing quiet. The alley popped out into another side street and Liita continued on, extending out her senses in search of that prickling again in case someone else picked up her trail. She took the long way around, weaving through the lesser used streets, even deciding to stop at a shop for a cup of caf at one point. It may have all been unnecessary and Liita honestly wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do once she got back to the inn, but if her pursuers didn’t already know where she was staying there was no point in leading them there.

It was another hour before she was trudging through the inn’s doors and up to her room.

“Guess who I-” Liita paused. Ahsoka was in the middle of the room, cross-legged and on the floor, with her hands closed and hands folded in her lap. Her breathing was slow, even and undisturbed by Liita’s loud entry into the room. Despite that, Liita closed the door and placed her things on the table as quietly as she could, turning away from the Togruta as she did so. Somehow, she felt as if she were intruding on something she shouldn’t be. For once, Liita could feel something emanating from Ahsoka; a long, slow pulse of energy that moved like a wave. Curiously, it was neutral and revealed nothing as to the inner state of Ahsoka’s mind, but it certainly wasn’t the invisible presence she usually projected.

Like a plug pulled on a drain, the energy suddenly disappeared and when Liita turned, Ahsoka was standing.

“Sorry,” Liita said, gesturing awkwardly, “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“It’s fine.” Ahsoka straightened the folds of her cloak, “How was shopping?”

“Well, about that…”

Liita told her about the prickling sensation and the man in the market who had followed her. She didn’t like the troubled look that crossed Ahsoka’s face as she sat on the edge of the bed, arms crossed.

“And he didn’t follow you back here?”

Liita shrugged, “Fairly sure. And I would have noticed him before I got to the market had he been following me then, so I suspect they don’t know where we’re staying, at least for now.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair, “And I still have to pick up those power generators in an hour.”

“We should leave,” Ahsoka said, “It’s too dangerous to be walking around town for either of us right now.”

Bristling, Liita turned back to the table, “I’m not leaving without the power generators.” She pulled out the sewing kit, ignoring the piercing stare practically burning a hole in her back. The generators were too important to be left behind, even though a part of Liita agreed with Ahsoka.

“Then I’ll come with you.”

“No,” Liita unwrapped the kit and sat in one of the chairs, “If you come it’ll be even more risky.”

It took her a couple of tries to thread the needle, but she managed to loop it through and tied off the end of the strand she had cut. Leaning over and pinching the tear in her pants, Liita began sewing it shut. It wasn’t an ideal fix, but it would keep the pants together until they got to Gapolis. Ahsoka remained silent while Liita sewed. She couldn’t see the expression on the Togruta’s face but she imagined that it wasn’t a particularly pleased one. Tying off the end, she twisted the thread around her finger and pulled, snapping it off.

“It would have been easier if you took your pants off.”

Liita’s head shot up. Ahsoka had mostly a curious expression, but there was a twinkle in her eye that made Liita’s cheeks darken. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had taken it upon themselves to tease her so mercilessly and she tried not to think of the little bubble of warmth that grew under the tangle of annoyance.

“It’s just temporary,” Liita muttered. She dropped the needle on the table and stood, “Anyways, if you’re really worried we can leave after I buy the generators.” Digging around in one her pouches, Liita pulled out a data chip, “This has the unlocking codes for my transport. Take the supplies and get it ready to go. It’s parked out back.”

Ahsoka nodded, taking the chip, “Where should I meet you?”

“Do you know where the Junk Hub is? Just off of Market Street at the edge of the Fourth Quarter.”

“I think so.”

“Be there in an hour and a half.”

While Liita would have preferred to leave in the early morning rather than at night, she couldn’t help but agree with Ahsoka that staying another night was too much of a risk. If their pursuers were able to track down and follow her through the city, surely they weren’t far from finding the inn. There was no need to senselessly endanger the patrons staying here and Liita knew that Lei certainly wouldn’t appreciate the trouble they were likely to cause.

Zipping up her jacket, Liita turned towards the door, “See you soon then.”

A hand gripped Liita’s elbow and she paused, looking over her shoulder at Ahsoka. Barely more than a stranger, yet the furrow in her brow was becoming all too familiar.

“Please be careful,” Ahsoka said.

Liita blinked in surprise and then gently pulled her arm out of Ahsoka’s hold, “I’ll be fine.”

Ahsoka worried too much for her own good, Liita thought as she descended down into the main cantina.

* * *

The Junk Hub was one of Liita’s favourite places in Ojepso. It was the epicentre of all things mechanical in the city, full of vendors for some of the best vehicles and machinery in town, plus had spaces to rent for doing repairs and testing out new designs. She had spent more than one afternoon observing the machinery demonstrations and spending some of her own credits on new toys for herself, albeit few and far between. Nothing here was used, despite the name, and often Liita found most of the gadgetry for sale here out of her price range. It was a bubble of like-minded mechanics, though, and the go-to spot for trades and purchases between travellers.

It was a busy evening like every other, people coming to and fro from the domed building up ahead. Plenty of people around to keep Liita at ease. Surely, their pursuers wouldn’t dare try anything in such a populated place. At most, she might expect to catch one of them following her again, but if they were as easy to lose as she did in the market, Liita wasn’t concerned.

Her destination was the centre square, a mostly open space with a large abstract statue of gears and wheels in the centre that had been commissioned by a local artist when the Junk Hub was built. This was where Liita had agreed to meet, and she settled down on one of the benches beneath the statue to wait.

It wasn’t long before two Ugnaughts approached the square, pushing a dolly loaded with two generators. Liita gave a small wave as she stood and met them halfway.

“Liita, I presume?” One of the Ugnaughts nodded his head in greeting, “I am Ixui and this is my partner Krasin. We have the generators here as promised.”

“Good. I’ll take a quick examination before payment, if it’s all the same to you.”

Ixui stepped back, gesturing to the generators. It only took a few minutes for Liita to take a full look over the pair of them. As stated, both were broken, but it was easy enough to identify the issues and she was grateful to discover that they would be easily fixable once they were in Gapolis.

“Everything looks in order.”

They went back a forth a bit, Liita conveniently pointing out a few specific flaws that warranted lowering the price. Ixui was stubborn, as most Ugnaughts were, but he did concede 150 credits from the original price, which was a win as far as Liita was concerned.

He had just handed back Liita’s payment chip when that familiar prickle scorched up the back of her neck, strong and present. She whipped around, yanking out her blaster. Both of the Ugnaughts grunted, stepping back with concern.

“What is the meaning of this?” Krasin growled, pulling out his own blaster. Liita didn’t answer, instead scanning the square sharply. As she thought, across the way, three cloaked figures had entered. They were speaking among themselves quietly, but one of them turned in her direction. Liita had a bad feeling about this.

“It’s nothing to do with you,” Liita said, straightening, “Our business is finished and I suggest you go on your way.”

Muttering, the brothers sped past Liita, Krasin shooting her a nasty look as they passed. She was currently more concerned with the figures now approaching her. There was no way she’d be able to make a quick getaway now that she had the generators and Liita thought that this would be a great time for Ahsoka to show up.

Stopping just on the other side of the dolly, the figure at the head of the the trio reached up to lower his hood. Like the one who had initially attacked her, his face was pale and gaunt, with thin hair pulled back tightly and sharp, dark eyes.

“Greetings,” he said, voice high pitched and raspy, “I hope we are not intruding.”

“What do you want?” Liita asked. She had lowered her blaster but not holstered it.

The man raised an eyebrow and held out his hands, “Surely we should not do without pleasantries. I apologize for how our initial encounter went but we are both civilized, are we not?” He placed a hand on his chest, “I am Cain, and these are my brothers Ress and Suna.” The two on either side of him nodded.

Liita narrowed her eyes, “Again. What do you want?”

Cain chuckled, “So forward. And,” he cocked his head, “Your question is genuine. Are you not the travelling companion of the Togruta?”

“I didn’t come with her to this planet, no.”

“Well,” Cain smiled, awful and leering, “Perhaps you can help us then. The Togruta has taken something of ours and we wish to have it returned to us.”

Ahsoka had stolen something from them? Liita had a hard time believing that these three had any belongings of theirs that they had obtained morally, but she wasn’t about to concern herself with the details.

“I suggest you leave. I have no quarrel with you and you may take up your business with her once my services had been completed and paid for.”

The smile disappeared. “I suggest you consider your words to me carefully, girl,” Cain said, and a wave of anger flooded Liita’s senses, “We are not to be trifled with.”

“Neither am I.” Liita lifted her blaster, “And I would leave if I were you. Hub Security will be around shortly as blasters aren’t to be drawn in here.” She tilted her head, “Understand?”

It was the case that some heads had already turned in their direction in concerned viewing, and Liita wouldn’t have been surprised if a couple calls had been made already to Hub Security.

Cain snarled, pulling his hood back up, “This isn’t the end of it. We will have returned what belongs to us.” The three of them quickly backed off, making their way towards the exit and disappearing into the crowd.

With a sigh, Liita holstered her blaster. Definitely trouble with a capital T.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, made it through Chapter 5. This chapter really kicked my butt, but I'm relieved to finally have it up. This marks the end of my pre-written story content and I'm now in the dreaded territory of writing week to week. I'm going to do my darndest to stay on top of the weekly updates, but there might be a couple of bi-weekly updates now and again *sweats* Time to get to work on Chapter 6!


	6. Chapter 6

Sitting at the edge of the pick up zone in the Hub, Liita scanned the crowd. One hand resting tensely on her holstered blaster and she fingered at the catch of the holster like a loose thread. Like she had warned Cain, Hub Security had made rounds through the square only moments after he and his brothers had disappeared. Just as keen to avoid prying eyes, though, Liita was already making her way out with the generators and wasn’t stopped. She made her way through the crowd, the dolly parting people for her as she made her way to the pick up zone. Every moment was one Liita had to resist the urge to glance over her shoulder, empathic sense on high alert for anything approaching.

The encounter with Cain had been troubling, to say the least. The conversational approach was off-putting, considering how their initial encounter had gone. Clearly, Cain had been hoping that Liita would assist them and betray Ahsoka to get back whatever they said belonged to them. Still, Liita doubted the validity of their claim. Ahsoka also didn’t strike her as the thieving type and if Ahsoka had taken something from those three, Liita was fairly confident that she had a reason.

Getting mixed up in all this was definitely becoming a headache. It had better be worth it for the kid…

Din.

Liita straightened. There was no way that Din should be coming to Gapolis with these three on her tail; she didn’t want to cause any more trouble for the Mandalorians than needed. Pulling out her commlink, she typed in the secure channel and tried to put through a call. It was risky to contact them in a public place, but the urgency of the situation warranted it. The comm beeped and then fell into a low buzz of white noise.

“Kriff,” Liita muttered, typing in the channel code again. The communication beacon must have finally kicked it. Again, just static. With a frustrated groan, she stuffed the comm away, crossing her arms. Another complication in what was now a more complicated situation than Liita ever liked to be in. She had to hope that this was resolved before Din arrived, or that the transfer of the power generators went off without a problem.

"Liita? Liita!"

Liita jumped, jerking away from the touch to her shoulder. Half pulling her blaster out, she whipped around to see a very concerned looking Ahsoka, hands raised.

"Whoa, whoa, it's just me."

Liita relaxed a fraction, pushing her blaster back in place, "Right." She sighed, shoulders sagging, "Right."

"What happened?” Ahsoka reached out again but Liita pushed herself away from the generators and away from the Togruta.

"I'll tell you once we get these loaded up."

Liita wheeled the generators over to where Ahsoka had parked the transport, Ahsoka trailing behind. It was small vehicle, not much bigger than a skiff, with an enclosed back and just enough room in the front for two people. Not too flashy, but Liita had gotten a good deal on it over a year ago, and it was ideal for taking her between Ojepso and Gapolis, which had the only space port on E'ti. It was also something Liita had spent a good amount of hours upgrading and personalizing and while it wasn’t top of the line, she was fond of it.

It only took them a few minutes to get the generators loaded. There wasn't much Liita was bringing back, so there was plenty of space in the rear section and she secured one generator in place with a couple of mag straps, Ahsoka following suit with the second.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ahsoka asked as they descended the ramp. Liita hadn't missed the wary glances as they had unloaded the generators off of the dolly and she prickled with annoyance.

"I'm fine. Let's go, I'll drive." Liita climbed up into the driver's seat and began programming in the route. Ahsoka slipped in beside her, grey cloak dragging on the seat.

"Liita." Ahsoka touched her wrist and Liita looked up. The Togruta was frowning, and she tilted her head, "Tell me what happened."

"It was..." Liita pulled away from Ahsoka's hand, shrugging, "It was those three. From earlier. They approached me in the square." Liita told Ahsoka about Cain, and what he had said to her, trying to detail the encounter as nonchalantly as possible. Ahsoka crossed her arms and leaned back, listening to Liita with the furrow in her brow growing deeper with every word.

"And then they just left?"

Liita nodded, "Yeah. Weren't too keen on running into any kind of public altercation.”

Ahsoka placed a thumb under her chin, but didn't say anything more. Rolling her eyes, Liita turned on the transport and it rumbled beneath them, "Anyways, we'll be fine once we get to the moss jungle."

"Why do you say that?" Ahsoka asked, "Surely the jungle would be the ideal place for an ambush."

"Not this jungle."

Maneuvering them out of the pick up zone, Liita glanced over at Ahsoka, who looked to be deep in thought. There was still a chance that Cain would decide to attack them before they made their way to the moss jungle, but somehow Liita doubted it. There had been plenty of opportunities for them to try and take back what they were looking for; the fact that they weren't bothered at the inn now suggested more that it was a conscious choice and less that they didn't know where they were staying. Plus, their conversation in the Hub told Liita that they were strategic in their actions. Whoever Cain and his brothers were, they were playing a long game. The attack on the ship had likely been to see what kind of opponent they were facing. Liita had seen the tactic used before with the Mandalorians; descend upon a target with a retreat plan in place to gauge what they were dealing with.

Liita decided not to wonder how they would have fared if the attack at the ship had the intent of killing instead. That, and the memory of the look in Cain’s eyes back in the square, sent a shiver down her spine.

The streets were quiet and they made their way to the edge of the city by the time it had fallen dark. Out here there were only warehouses and vehicle storage, backlit by the glow of the jungle in the evening light. Liita followed the main road until the buildings fell away, replaced by roots that tumbled and wove through the rock along the edges.

The heat from the jungle could already be felt, tendrils of muggy warmth that crept under Liita's jacket. There was no defined entrance; just roots becoming trunks and trunks becoming branches twisted so tight together that when you looked up, the sky couldn't be seen. The only light now was from the moss, which emitted low oranges and yellows. Liita sighed, inhaling the thick earthy scent of bark. Many found the moss jungle to bring a sense of unease, perhaps from the daunting wall of tree and moss that surrounded on all sides save for the road that had been carved through by traders decades ago, but Liita found comfort in the enclosed warmth. She had always thought that the moss was beautiful, in an alien sort of way, and she had never run into trouble on the road through. It was nearly impossible to navigate the thick growth unless you were willing to climb arduously slow on foot and bandits hardly ever tried anything on the travellers making their way through. The end of the road, though, was a different story. They would cross that bridge when they came to it though. For now, they had five days of jungle to look forward to.

Liita couldn’t help but notice Ahsoka’s interest in the towering trees. She craned her neck as they drove, eyes wide in a way that took years off her face under the glow of the moss. It was a look Liita hardly saw on anyone anymore; a look of pure wonder and excitement. For a moment, Liita didn’t need her senses to know what Ahsoka was feeling and the open-ness on her face was beautiful. With a jolt, Liita snapped her gaze back to the road ahead. She was appreciating good looks, nothing more, she told herself, feeling flustered. Yes, it was charming to watch Ahsoka be amazed by the the unique nature of the moss jungle, and the light was most definitely flattering to the warm tone of her skin… Liita shoved those thoughts away, fiddling with the navigation pad.

“What type of trees are these?”

“Hmm?” Liita tried to sound distracted, not looking up from the pointless double-checking of the route.

“The trees.” Out of the corner of her eye, Liita saw Ahsoka lean forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she looked out with a soft smile on her face.

Clearing her throat, Liita sat back, “They’re called Aesho trees.”

“They’re beautiful.”

Only able to nod, Liita adjusted her grip on the steering yolk. They fell into silence again, only filled with the occasional whisper of a breeze.

A few hours passed; a turn in the road had them fully immersed in the twist of Aesho trees, with no sign of their entrance behind them and Liita finally allowed herself to flick on the autopilot.

"You should rest," Ahsoka said, breaking the silence, "I'll watch the controls for a little bit."

Liita turned, "And when was the last time you slept?" Her instinct was confirmed when Ahsoka waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm fine."

Looking Ahsoka up and down, Liita had a hard time believing that. The corners of Ahsoka's eyes were creased and she slumped against the seat now. She had been in a ship crash, walked all the way to town, went head-to-head in a full on fight, and from what Liita could tell, had not slept a wink since. Surely, she had to be exhausted. Any energy of excitement from earlier had completely drained and all Liita saw before her was someone who could use some sleep.

"How about," Liita glanced ahead down the road, "How about we pull over and make camp for the night? Both get some rest?"

Surprise crossed Ahsoka's face, "Oh, um." Liita's response hadn't been expected then. Liita couldn't help but feel pleased at catching Ahsoka off guard.

"Won't that put us behind schedule?" Ahsoka tugged her cloak around her tighter.

"We're ahead of schedule actually." Liita turned off the autopilot and took a hold of the steering yolk, "Are you against sleeping or something?"

"No, I just..." Ahsoka trailed off and fell silent. The pull over Liita had spotted came up beside them and she steering the transport in. Pull overs were small campsites carved along the road through the jungle for travellers to rest and even though it hadn't been long since they'd left, the idea of rest seemed extremely appealing to Liita.

She switched the transport off, "Well I have a bedroll for you, if you want." She flicked another switch and a beam of energy slowly grew out of the top of the transport, turning into a bubble encompassing them. Turning a dial, Liita watched the circumference grow until there was a decent amount of space surrounding the transport, enough for two people to sleep on the ground.

"That doesn't seem like standard issue."

Liita rolled her eyes as she climbed out of the transport, "Obviously I rigged it." She walked around and opened the back, "More for peace of mind than anything else." The real reason was that Liita loved falling asleep to the soft glow of the moss, rather than sleeping in the back of her transport like many of the traders did. It felt like a stupid reason to say out loud, though, and she refrained.

Ahsoka did in fact pull out the second bed roll but merely sat down cross legged, while Liita practically collapsed down onto her side. She lifted her head with a glare, "We stopped so you could sleep, not so you could do your Force-meditation whatever."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, "And how do you know it has anything to do with the Force?"

"Back at the inn, it felt," Liita waved a hand, "Different."

"Felt?"

Liita looked over to an incredibly curious expression on Ahsoka's face and she pushed herself up onto one elbow, "Yeah, I could feel you doing... Force-y stuff."

The corner of Ahsoka's mouth twitched, whether in a smile or frown Liita couldn't tell, "Strange. I didn't realize you were Force sensitive."

"I'm not. I'm a Zeltron." That didn't seem to answer the question, based on Ahsoka's blank look, and Liita sighed, "Zeltrons are empaths. Minor ones, but enough that I can usually tell what someone is feeling. Or feel the Force, apparently."

"Hmm." Ahsoka laid down, mirroring Liita’s position. One lekku pooled around her chest while the other draped over her shoulder before slipping down behind her, "So you can tell what I'm feeling then?"

Liita's cheeks warmed and she turned her gaze to the wall of Aesho trees behind Ahsoka, "Sure."

Ahsoka hummed thoughtfully, "So what am I feeling right now?"

"Wouldn't you already know that?" Liita bit back, the words coming out harsher than she meant them to. Why had she even told Ahsoka in the first place? Like everything else about the Togruta, Liita's inherent trust of her was confusing and sudden, but instinctual. Despite only knowing her a little over a day and being a completely blank slate, Ahsoka had shown genuine kindness and concern for Liita. Many would have left her to manage whatever the situation befell on her own. In a way, it reminded her of when she found Din on the dusty red planet. She'd had absolutely no reason to believe he was worth saving in any way, except for that little green baby and that feeling in her gut that somehow, he was. And she'd been right. She only hoped that she was right again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you hear that a lot."

Liita blinked, thoughts interrupted by Ahsoka's apology. She shook her head, "It's alright. Not as many people know as you'd think." Again, revealing so much. Liita flopped down onto her back, staring up at the twisting patterns of mossy branches.

"Togruta can move the tips of their lekku."

The statement made Liita frown and look over, "What?"

Smiling, Ahsoka shrugged, "Not quite the same, but it's something most people don't know." The end of the lekku lying on the ground lifted, tapping three times in quick succession. "Most lekku only move in response to stimuli, but Togruta have limited control of their movements."

A soft chuckle escaped from Liita's lips, "Ahsoka, you're very strange, you know that?"

"I've been told."

Liita closed her eyes, not surprised that someone had in fact told Ahsoka that before. What did surprise her was the warmth in her chest and falling asleep to the glow of the Aesho trees was easy that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, new chapter! I will probably move to bi-monthly updates on Wednesday, just so I can keep a regular posting schedule and also my sanity. Writing has been kicking my butt lately but I will keep marching forward. See y'all in a couple weeks <3

**Author's Note:**

> Well, let's see how this goes. Regular weekly updates will be on Wednesdays.
> 
> Big love as always to the Mandorin Discord server <3 
> 
> Come join us for bants, fun, and Mandorin related shenanigans: [Mandorin Oranges Discord Server](https://discord.gg/J7rBGe7)
> 
> The title is inspired by the song "Patches of Sky" by Coeur De Pirate, from the beautiful soundtrack she composed for 'Child of Light'.


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